With regard to the issue of oil and energy,
a. President Obama has not been active in supporting new policies.
b. the world’s largest oil exporters are all friends of the United States.
c. President Obama opposes using nuclear power.
d. in recent years, the practice of fracking stands to reduce America’s dependence on
foreign oil.
e. the government mandated a requirement that cars and trucks to have a maximum rate
of 100 miles per gallon by 2016.
In Plessy v. Ferguson, the Court held that
a. African Americans are not U.S. citizens.
b. the Fourteenth Amendment enforced social equality.
c. schools are not allowed to segregate on the basis of race.
d. social segregation did not violate the Constitution.
e. Homer Plessy’s legal position was a valid one.
The de facto power in the Senate belongs to
a. President of the Senate.
b. President pro tempore of the Senate.
c. Senator designate selected by the president.
d. Senate majority and minority leaders and their respective whips.
e. the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Rewarding faithful party workers with government employment is called
a. “going public.”
b. pork.
c. patronage.
d. executive privilege.
e. civil service.
Regarding voter requirements, each state
a. has different qualifications for voting and registration.
b. must have identical voter registration qualifications.
c. can impose residency requirements of any length in order for voters to register.
d. requires voters to register by mail.
e. allows voters to register up to the day of the election.
Categorical grants are
a. federal grants to states or local governments for specific programs or projects.
b. emergency grants to states for unforeseen circumstances.
c. a very recent form of national government support to school districts.
d. unconstitutional because of separation of powers.
e. federal grants to states or local governments for general operating expenses.
The contrasting image of nonviolent African Americans and violent, hostile whites
created
a. strong public support for the civil rights movement.
b. strong public resentment toward the civil rights movement.
c. public indifference toward the civil rights movement.
d. strong public support for the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
e. strong public support for the rights of individuals to bear arms.
The Bill of Rights provided for
a. protection of individual liberties at the state level.
b. protection of individual liberties at the national level.
c. equal protection under the law.
d. protection against state infringements on the freedoms of conscience, the press, and
jury trial.
e. separation of powers.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the federal government used ______ to force the states to raise
their minimum alcoholic beverage drinking age to 21.
a. new legislation
b. conditions attached to federal highway grants
c. a Supreme Court ruling
d. international standards
e. a series of lawsuits
Alexis de Tocqueville, a commentator on American society in the 1800s, noted that
Americans rely on courts
a. to resolve most political questions.
b. to a much lesser degree than Europeans.
c. only if there is no other alternative.
d. to resolve economic questions, but not political ones.
e. to provide a form of entertainment.
Which state refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention?
a. Delaware
b. South Carolina
c. Rhode Island
d. Maryland
e. Virginia
Which of the following statements best describes political realism?
a. This philosophy views nations as normally willing to cooperate and agree on moral
standards for conduct.
b. This philosophy is a neo-isolationist one.
c. This philosophy wants to create a single world government.
d. This philosophy views each nation as acting in its own interest regardless of moral
considerations.
e. This philosophy advocates the spread of Islam.
“Budget bills” must originate
a. in the Senate.
b. in the House.
c. in conference committee.
d. with the president.
e. from any of the above sources.
______ scientists who perform research on the world’s climate believe that global
warming will be significant.
a. Virtually, none of the
b. A minority of
c. About half of all
d. A slight majority of
e. Almost all
A legislator from Florida who votes, against his or her personal beliefs, to support
subsidies for orange growers would be acting
a. as a trustee.
b. as a logroller.
c. as an instructed delegate.
d. on what he or she believes is best for the entire society.
e. as an executive.
Obscenity was legally defined by Chief Justice Burger in
a. United States v. Williams.
b. Osborne v. Ohio.
c. Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union.
d. Miller v. California.
e. Flynt v. Falwell.
A writ of habeas corpus is an order that requires
a. jailers to bring a prisoner before a court and explain why they are being held.
b. prisoners to be provided with legal counsel.
c. prisoners to be informed of their right to remain silent.
d. police to find the dead body in order for a court to deliver a murder conviction.
e. prisoners to be provided with an opportunity to confess.
The practice of sending of experts in areas such as agriculture, engineering, or business
to aid other nations is called
a. an in-kind subsidy.
b. a tariff.
c. technical assistance.
d. exports.
e. military aid.
The Supreme Court’s rulings can
a. never be overturned.
b. be enforced by the Court itself.
c. be overturned by constitutional amendment at the state level, but not at the federal
level.
d. be overturned by constitutional amendments at both the federal and state levels.
e. be overturned by constitutional amendment and the federal level, but not at the state
level.
A dissenting opinion can be important because
a. it represents the position of the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
b. it is the statement of the defendant’s attorney to the Court.
c. in criminal law it must be carried out by local police.
d. it often forms the basis of the arguments used later if the Court reverses the previous
decision and establishes a new precedent.
e. it means that the case cannot be used as a precedent.
Capitalism is
a. a political theory developed by Karl Marx.
b. an economic system marked by the private ownership of wealth-creating assets, free
markets, and freedom of contract.
c. incompatible with property rights, including personal possessions and
wealth-creating assets.
d. named for the centralization of economic power in the capitol.
e. unpopular in the United States.
A special provision in legislation to set aside funds for projects that have not passed an
impartial evaluation by agencies in the executive branch is called a(n)
a. unfunded mandate.
b. backdoor clause.
c. amendment.
d. rider.
e. earmark.
The initiative and the referendum are both
a. ways to remove a public official from office before to the end of his or her elected
term.
b. procedures used in Congress to prevent the passage of a bill by talking it to death.
c. provided for in the Bill of Rights.
d. constitutional mechanisms that are unique to California.
e. modern adaptations of direct democracy.
The Flag Protection Act of 1989
a. is the constitutional amendment that prohibits flag burning.
b. was a Texas state law prohibiting the burning of the American flag.
c. is an example of legislation made possible by the establishment clause.
d. was a bill that failed to pass in Congress.
e. was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
The 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act
a. was found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
b. prohibits protestors from blocking entrances to abortion clinics.
c. required public hospitals to provide abortions.
d. failed to pass in Congress.
e. required clinics to provide multiple entrances for abortion seekers.
The Social Security payroll tax can best be described as a
a. state tax.
b. victimless tax.
c. excise tax.
d. regressive tax.
e. progressive tax.
Today, most immigrants to the United States come from
a. Europe.
b. Latin America and Asia.
c. Canada.
d. Africa and the Middle East.
e. India and the Middle East.
Which of the following best describes patronage?
a. The practice of rewarding faithful party workers and followers with government
employment and contracts
b. Putting family members in government jobs
c. Committing to voting for something in exchange for a favorable vote in return
d. Equal opportunity without regard to race, creed, gender, national origin, or sexual
orientation
e. Giving people a reason to do something
Many political scientists believe that third parties
a. have consistently failed because they never reflect the political mood of the nation.
b. have acted as safety valves for dissident groups, preventing major confrontations and
political unrest.
c. can only come into existence if they are organized around a single charismatic leader.
d. can only come into existence if they split off from one of the major political parties.
e. are incapable of being formed from scratch by individuals who are committed to a
particular issue or ideology.
Usually, the Gallup and Roper polls interview
a. 3 percent of the U.S. population.
b. about 1,500 individuals.
c. over 100,000 individuals in each random sample for presidential elections.
d. people who have been selected based on their intelligence.
e. using quota samples.
The most common occupational background of Supreme Court justices at the time of
their appointment has been
a. U.S. attorney general.
b. U.S. senator.
c. professors of law.
d. federal executive posts.
e. private legal practice or state or federal judgeship.
Which of the following best describes how a political party differs from an interest
group?
a. Political parties want to operate the government, but interest groups do not aim to do
so.
b. Political parties do not want to operate the government, but interest groups do.
c. Interest groups share common objectives and attempt to influence policymakers.
d. A political party tries to win elections, but interest groups do not.
e. Political parties and interest groups determine public policy.